Kladow

Kladow

I went to Kladow yesterday. It was my first visit.

An 'oldie' from my computer course called and asked if I wanted a join a couple of others who were going there. I replied in the affirmative! Quick packing of water and camera into my rucksack and off I went.

We met at my local S-Bahn and took the train west. We ended up at Wannsee then took the ferry to Kladow. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of 'oldies' running about the place. I thought we would never get on the ferrry but we were in the last six to be allowed on.

You can see some photos of the ferry crossing, and the 'oldies' everywhere, including the queue to take the ferry back to Wannsee. Kladow is on the way to Potsdam but is part of Berlin.

Such 'oldie' events, I have learnt, have a lot to do with eating and drinking, and the trip to Kladow was no exception! As soon as we got off the ferry they wandered into a nearby restaurant. I thought they wanted to go to the toilet but no, they sat down at a table in the garden of the restaurant.

One hour and forty five minutes later they did go to the toilet, after which they decided it was time to do some walking. We set off along a very long walkway along the side of the lake. I took some photos showing the scenes as I wondered why I had never been there before.

After forty minutes slow walk we got to a bench in the shade of a tree and looking out to the lake shore. They sat down - again - and then opened their bags to take out food and drinks. They started eating and drinking - again!

I couldn't believe it, so decided to go for a walk into the area at the back of the 'picnic'. I took some nice photos and include one here. It shows a view to the lake with a reflection of the sky in some shallow water. I like this shot.

After an hour of picnicking , which included a number of 'bawdy' jokes, most of which I understood :-) we resumed out walk.  After another hour we arrived at the northerly end of the lake and took a short walk to the top of a small hill.

Guess what was there? Yes, you guessed right. A Gaststätte so they could sit in the garden and enjoy Kaffee und Kuchen.  I sipped coffee as I watched them consume cakes, coffee, ice cream and even brandy.





This time they needed over an hour to enjoy it all and continue to talk about everything and nothing. It is good for me to be with such a group for I hear more German than I do in a week on my own. They always try to explain words I don't understand.

And so we walked all of three minutes to the local bus stop and in four minutes a bus arrived. Like schoolchildren we clambered in and into the top deck at the front for better view. Later we arrived at an  S-Bahn station and headed for our respective homes.

A very interesting day in which I think almost all Berliners were somewhere enjoying the sun by lakes,  rivers and woods - and had perhaps as many food-drink breaks as my 'oldies'!

Easter Friday

Easter Friday

This was the day after seeing Peter. I started it in nice style with breakfast in the sun on my balcony. Not a bad way to start the day!

After breakfast I relaxed with my book. It is called Rivers of Gold and is a history of the conquest of the Caribbean islands and South America. I've got to the part where Columbus is dead, as indeed were his benefactors including Isabella and Ferdinand. Now starts an even darker episode in human history.

Mass killing and enslavement of local populations, slavery and agreement to import black slaves from Africa. No-one comes out of this episode with clean hands. Not even the Catholic Church for they certainly had/still have a lot of blood on their hands from this history. I wonder if any Pope has ever begged forgiveness for what his organisation did? I was certainly left wondering that as I closed the book to look at the garden and enjoy the colours.


I took some photos to share with you. They are of the back garden from my balcony and front from my bedroom window.

That evening I went to the Kömische Oper for an evening of Brittan, Pärt and Holst.  Here is a picture of the programmes, including details of that evening.

After the concert, I went to the players canteen, as usual, and met Angelika. She plays viola in the orchestra so we had a good chat about the concert over a glass of red wine. I great way to end the day - and a memorable week of excursions!

Peter von LL

Peter von LL

The day after my Schlaubertal adventure, I took the S-Bahn to Griebnitzsee just outside Potsdam. I had arranged to meet Peter von Long-Legs. He met me at the station and we walked to his office.

He has passed his Diplom and got an MSc from an American university, like Jan, and is now studying for his Doctorate while working as a part-time research assistant to the Economics Professor.

We had met at Jan and Arancha's last visit but had no time to really talk to him about his life there and new responsibilities. He recently had a birthday so that was a good excuse to meet up.
He showed me his office, where I took these photos. Very nice! We then went for lunch where I took another shot of Peter mit Bier! Also nice.

We caught up on news and had a good talk about his Doctorate and research assistant responsibilities. I gave him a few tips, which he found useful, and we agreed to keep in contact more often as he works further on his Doctorate.

 A very pleasant day. I still like being in an academic environment. I wonder why :-) Thanks Peter!

Schlaubertal

 Schlaubertal

I went there on the Wednesday before Easter. It was a quick decision for the evening before I got an e-mail saying my computer course had been cancelled.

 I heard about Schlaubertal from one of my Friday Oldies, so after breakfast I packed my rucksack and off I went.



Where/What is Schlaubertal? It is a 60 km flat valley with a small river linking a number of lakes until the water runs into a river and canal to the north of the the Tal = Valley. You can see it on the map.

I took the train to Frankfurt-an-der-Oder, which is on the Polish border. Then a bus south until Müllrose.

This is an old market town for cereals and a large flour mill is still there. There is a walk way - Wanderweg - on one side of Müllrose Lake.


I walked along it with stops to admire the view and wonderful sunny weather.


The sky was a perfect blue with no cloud to be seen. One of those rare spring days with colours we need time to get used to, after the long cold winter days.




I include a photo of the train so you can see the inside of one of our red regional trains - please note, Andrew!

I include a few others of the landscape in that area. I want to go back but next time with my bicycle for there are many cycle tracks down the Schlaubertal.

Templin

Templin


I went to Templin yesterday. I wanted to go to Rheinsberg but the regional train arrived late, so I missed the connection at Löwenberg. Instead, I just walked to the other side of the platform (there is only one platform!) and got on the small local train to Templin.

I had never been there before. Unlike Rheinsberg, with its palace and royal connections, Templin is not high on the tourist map of 'Must Visit', but I liked the place. I discovered it has two claims to fame.

They are that Walter Ulbricht, the first 'Big Boss' of the DDR, died at a government guest house near Templin in May 1973. The second is that Angela Merkel, the present German Chancellor, grew up there from 1957.

The whole area is known to have been settled by Slavs from the 8th Century, then crossing the Elbe in the 11th Century along came Germanic tribes. Templin was registered as a town in 1314, and became the centre of a large agricultural area.

A protective wall was built from 1350 which took about 100 years to complete. The wall is still intact and surrounds the inner town. It has three gates. The largest is the Berlin Gate, which you can see here in a photograph

In 1816 it became part of the Prussian province of Brandenburg. After re-unification in 1990-91 it became a district of the federal state of Brandenburg.

I wandered from the station to the town centre. It is built around the market square with its Town Hall building and monument to locals who died in the war against Austria-Hungary in 1864, and France in 1870-71. The monument is still topped by the Prussian Eagle.

I went round the corner to a very good traditional restaurant. I ate a delicious fish dish.  From there I wandered to the nearby lake and watched a tourist boat arriving. Then back to the centre, and wandered past a collection of old buildings being restored. Later I visited the Berlin Gate.

I walked along the wall until I got to a road leading to the railway station. I settled into a comfortable seat and relaxed for a 90 minute journey through flat green land ending at the north of Berlin. Then the concrete blocks of Hohenschönhausen and Marzahn until I arrived at Berlin-Lichtenberg.

A very pleasant and enjoyable day. I hope to return when it is warmer and see more of a small interesting town and learn more about its history and surrounding area.

Stones

Photoshop Stones

Last week was pleasant but uneventful. Watching Spring fight its way into the year is always a pleasant period.  I noticed that buds opened and trees showed new greenery as the days passed.

At the Photoshop course, Stefan had prepared a new activity involving practicing skills we had earlier learnt, and mostly forgotten! We had photographs of walls with big old stones set in cement. The kind of walls built 6 or 7 hundred years ago.

We had to cut out stones, then give them new shapes and add to the bottom of the workspace to make a pile of stones. It takes more time than you may think, but we finished the task and are ready for the lesson after Easter.

Then we have to add stones to a background photo and show holes where the stones may have been. Here is an example quickly created by Stefan for me to add to this blog. Thanks Stefan!

Yesterday I went to Templin where I took photos to share with the group when we next meet.  See the next post about Templin.

The Kunstler

Stefan the Kunstler

I've had a very routine week but it was marked by really bad allergy reactions. Since last Sunday, my eyes have been burning and red.

When I go out I wear dark glasses to spare the locals a view of my red 'Dracula' eyes. It was very bad yesterday and today because we are having high winds at the moment.




Even so, it didn't stop me going to Kerstin's 'Oldie' Fitness Group this morning and then to my Photoshop course led by Stefan.


Two member were missing, but we still had fun and started on some new work. Stefan had prepared some new photographs for us to use as background and to cut out images.

He created some images to show us how to do the work. One clever idea is of a DDR Barkas entering the Berlin Wall and the front of a Peugot emerging from the other side.

He created another one this afternoon which is a fantasy image of water and a bridge. I really like this one, and he created it very quickly.

All I managed in the same time was to cut out two images and place them in a background. One image is of the famous painter and sculptor, Käthe Kollwitz as an old women. The other is of a Greek/Roman guard. I put them into a background image. See for yourself.

April things

April and things

The last month had some interesting changes for me, including a clear move into Spring, which is forecast to be even better this weekend.

Today is 'April Fools Day' internationally, no matter what it is called in different languages. We started our Friday Photoshop course again and with no April jokes!

It was nice to see the others after a three week break. We went through a range of photos Stefan had taken as material for the next part of the course and discussed possibilities. We start working on the material next Friday.


Tomorrow I am going to an ELTABB workshop on the topic of: Tech Talk-Understanding IT English. Should be interesting as much for the presenter, Edward, who is one of our long time members and an expert on all things IT.

I'm meeting 'Liebe Andrea' next Tuesday evening for a meal and just having time for ourselves to catch up on news. Only one wandering day is planned so far and this is in the middle of April. The month ends with another appointment with my dentist - and this time with the bill. Oh, no!

Each week has the same pattern as the weeks in last month. Training, my computer and photoshop groups, some private students, German lessons with Frau Fox and at least one visit to the Kömische Oper. I shall also be taking flowers to Birgit's grave over Easter.

Talking of flowers. Here is a photo of my balcony with new flowers to brighten up the view. I planted them on Thursday. Now I enjoy looking out of my kitchen to see such cheering colours.


Who has a birthday in April? Horst starts the month with his 77th on the 4 April, followed by Uli enjoying his 64th on the 6th, his wife Petra follows on the 8th and Daniel will be celebrating his big day in Australia on the 9th. In California, Dennis welcomes his 56th on the 11 April, followed by Neil in Dortmund on the 13th for his 54th. He shares that day with Marga in Berlin who will be 63 then.

My great-nephew Henri will smile through his 2nd birthday on the 18th. I'm looking forward to seeing him and family in mid-June. Mathias with celebrate his 47th with the charming Sylvana on the 19th. Peter will celebrate his 47th with Andre on the 22nd, and Birgit F. also hits 47 but on the 24th. Katrin ends the month with her 43rd on the 28th April.  Happy Birthday to each and all!!